Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Adoption paperwork notebooks
It's no secret that with adoptions comes piles and piles and piles and piles of paperwork. I'm fairly confident in adopting Bates and Brodie, I singlehandedly killed a small forest.
We literally had paperwork all over the house. Some in a box, some in their "life boxes" some on the computer desk, some in the kitchen, most of it just in emails on the computer. I wanted to get it all organized and put together in a way that made some sort of sense but was so overwhelmed that I had no idea where to start. I sat down with Bates' paperwork and tried to organize it before Brodie came home, but I didn't get very far, just it all stuck in a notebook.
I feel very very strongly as an adoptive mom, one of my jobs is to provide my boys as much of their story as possible. I want to put what I can together so one day they can have all their paperwork at their fingertips. I don't want to be searching for information for them and loose things. So I finally just made myself sit down and get it done.
I am happy with the final product. So here is a peak at their adoption paperwork notebooks!
The covers. Simple and done in word with a clip art Korean flag.
The spine. I used a huge 3 inch notebook. Like I said, adoptions bring lots of paperwork!
First section, Referral.
While this isn't chronologically the first thing, it's the most important. This will be what the boys are most interested in and since all the other paperwork was down to bring them home... let's start with what really matters!
Behind this divider is the confidential background information on their birth families, the medical information that came with their referral, and their referral pictures. This section has the paperwork that came with their referral and Brodie's includes the original copies of his legal paperwork.
Next up, Well Baby check and updates.
This section includes all the WBCs, updated pictures, and any other updates we got while we were waiting!
Next up, Medical Review.
This section includes all the medical information that the IAP gave us on the referral. Any notes they made, etc.
While we waited.... section
This section includes things like, our welcome to Holt letter, our homestudy paperwork, invoices, grant application, monthly updates from Holt, our Christmas Card, baby shower invite....
My favorite thing in this section of Bates' notebook is this post it note. I had this note on my desk for months while I called DC checking on the status of his EA, VP, VI, etc... This little note was OH so important to me!
Travel Section!
This section includes our travel paperwork: itinterary, travel info from Holt, etc.
This section has just a few of the travel souvenirs, tickets etc, most of those are in their life boxes though.
Last section: Post Placement
This section has their adoption announcements, welcome home letter, a copy of the court report, etc.
The boys also have a Life Box. This box has all their Korean things- gifts from foster families, blue bag, bottles, diapers, sign from front yard when we got home. travel things like ticket stubs, their medical file from Korea. All that stuff.
Next project, take the photo albums from their foster families and put them in a photo safe book!
Hope this gives you other adoptive mommas some ideas for organizing your child(ren)'s paperwork. It should be important to you to preserve as much of your child(ren)'s story as possible. It's an overwhelming stack of paperwork, but it's oh so worth it when it's done!
We literally had paperwork all over the house. Some in a box, some in their "life boxes" some on the computer desk, some in the kitchen, most of it just in emails on the computer. I wanted to get it all organized and put together in a way that made some sort of sense but was so overwhelmed that I had no idea where to start. I sat down with Bates' paperwork and tried to organize it before Brodie came home, but I didn't get very far, just it all stuck in a notebook.
I feel very very strongly as an adoptive mom, one of my jobs is to provide my boys as much of their story as possible. I want to put what I can together so one day they can have all their paperwork at their fingertips. I don't want to be searching for information for them and loose things. So I finally just made myself sit down and get it done.
I am happy with the final product. So here is a peak at their adoption paperwork notebooks!
The covers. Simple and done in word with a clip art Korean flag.
The spine. I used a huge 3 inch notebook. Like I said, adoptions bring lots of paperwork!
First section, Referral.
While this isn't chronologically the first thing, it's the most important. This will be what the boys are most interested in and since all the other paperwork was down to bring them home... let's start with what really matters!
Behind this divider is the confidential background information on their birth families, the medical information that came with their referral, and their referral pictures. This section has the paperwork that came with their referral and Brodie's includes the original copies of his legal paperwork.
Next up, Well Baby check and updates.
This section includes all the WBCs, updated pictures, and any other updates we got while we were waiting!
Next up, Medical Review.
This section includes all the medical information that the IAP gave us on the referral. Any notes they made, etc.
While we waited.... section
This section includes things like, our welcome to Holt letter, our homestudy paperwork, invoices, grant application, monthly updates from Holt, our Christmas Card, baby shower invite....
My favorite thing in this section of Bates' notebook is this post it note. I had this note on my desk for months while I called DC checking on the status of his EA, VP, VI, etc... This little note was OH so important to me!
Travel Section!
This section includes our travel paperwork: itinterary, travel info from Holt, etc.
This section has just a few of the travel souvenirs, tickets etc, most of those are in their life boxes though.
Last section: Post Placement
This section has their adoption announcements, welcome home letter, a copy of the court report, etc.
The boys also have a Life Box. This box has all their Korean things- gifts from foster families, blue bag, bottles, diapers, sign from front yard when we got home. travel things like ticket stubs, their medical file from Korea. All that stuff.
Next project, take the photo albums from their foster families and put them in a photo safe book!
Hope this gives you other adoptive mommas some ideas for organizing your child(ren)'s paperwork. It should be important to you to preserve as much of your child(ren)'s story as possible. It's an overwhelming stack of paperwork, but it's oh so worth it when it's done!
a Memphis tradition
When we were in Memphis last weekend, Mimi wanted to go eat at Rendezvous. Of course we went. I didn't realize Nick had never eaten there. So it was all my boys' first trip to a Memphis tradition.
I think they liked it, don't you?
After eating, Robert wanted to take the boys to see the ducks at the Peabody across the street. They had already marched up to their house on the top of the hotel, so we went to the roof. Unfortunately, the house was under construction, so we couldn't see the ducks.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I think they liked it, don't you?
After eating, Robert wanted to take the boys to see the ducks at the Peabody across the street. They had already marched up to their house on the top of the hotel, so we went to the roof. Unfortunately, the house was under construction, so we couldn't see the ducks.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
splash splash
It rained really hard last Sunday which resulted in a big puddle right outside MawMaw and PawPaw's back door.
Big puddle plus two toddlers..... a whole lotta fun!
It started with Bates and Caroline just running through the puddle.
Then the jumping started.
And splashing.
Someone alerted Brodie to the fun he was missing.
Two toddlers, a 17 month old and a 2 1/2 year old, both boys is a lot of work sometimes but it's also OH.SO.MUCH fun! I sure do love being a boy mom. Their excitement is contagious and their joy is simply overflowing!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Big puddle plus two toddlers..... a whole lotta fun!
It started with Bates and Caroline just running through the puddle.
Then the jumping started.
And splashing.
Someone alerted Brodie to the fun he was missing.
Two toddlers, a 17 month old and a 2 1/2 year old, both boys is a lot of work sometimes but it's also OH.SO.MUCH fun! I sure do love being a boy mom. Their excitement is contagious and their joy is simply overflowing!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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